Top 17 TV shows of 2017 — so far
Yeah, this is late. Bright side: I got it in before Labor Day and the start of the fall television season. You’ll notice there’s not a lot…
Yeah, this is late. Bright side: I got it in before Labor Day and the start of the fall television season. You’ll notice there’s not a lot of streaming series featured on the list below. Basically, it’s a case of so many shows, so little time. I’m catching up when and where I can, but I still have managed to see some truly worthwhile series in the meantime. Take a look and add another show to your ever-escalating binge pile. No judging.
17) Portlandia (IFC)
Seven seasons in (with a final season airing in 2018), Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen’s creation is as creative and vital as ever. “SNL” may have its moments, but it’s not as fulfilling as a whole.
16) Teachers (TV Land)
The first half of season two ended with a musical episode (not the only show to do so that week, but definitely the most entertaining) and continued to be one of the best comedies currently airing. Miss Bennigan and Hot Dad must get together! *clears throat* As you were.
15) iZombie (The CW)
Rob Thomas’ series continues to impressively evolve into a bigger show than was suggested at the outset by being fearless in its storytelling and character development. If only I didn’t have to wait till 2018 to see the next chapter. Jason Dohring is totally coming back, right? Right?!
14) Girls (HBO)
Few shows go out on a truly satisfying note; if nothing else, Lena Dunham closed her series on her terms. The final run of episodes were among the series’ best. (“American Bitch” and “The Bounce” are highlights.) The finale proved divisive, however it’s an appropriate epilogue to Hannah’s journey that gives viewers a peek into her post-NYC life and a promise of what her future may hold.
13) Humans (AMC)
Series two widened the Synths worldview while shading the humans more darkly, giving the show more depth. Emily Berrington’s Niska is the MVP as she proves there is more to her than being a synth. Plus, the decision to add Carrie-Anne Moss to this esteemed sci-fi was simply genius.
12) Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)
Andy Samberg and company ended the season on its annual cliffhanger that put Rosa front and center with Jake. The real headline is the series nodded to real-life events when Terry was the target of racial profiling in his own neighborhood by another cop. Keeping one toe in reality while letting the screwball comedy take the lead is a great way to stay vital when approaching your fifth year.
11) Jane the Virgin (The CW)
Jane Villanueva did not have a particularly easy year, but she came out the other side with a heart that’s healing — and a career that’s thriving. Her family members (yes, even Petra) went through their own dramas. The comedy, thankfully, was never forgotten.
10) The Good Place (NBC)
Mike Shur is on a roll. He’s the brains behind “Parks and Recreation”, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and now this ingenious comedy. As with all great series, the premise is simple — a woman dies and instead of being sent to Hades is sent to, well, it’s in the title — while the execution is divine. If you missed season one, catch up now.
9) Black-ish (ABC)
Creator Kenya Barris was supposed to take a step back last season, but then the White House got a new occupant. This is good news for the show’s fans because we were treated to the comedy’s strongest season yet (Zoey’s college tour aside) between the post-election ep and the impending arrival of Dre and Bow’s fifth child.
8) American Gods (Starz)
The visual panache of this adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s novel proves that co-creator/co-showrunner Bryan Fuller has lost none of his prowess. With partner Michael Green, the pair bring a depth of understanding and a knowing nod to the world at large to this tale of one man who is brought into a war between the gods of old and new.
7) Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW)
I love a woman with a plan and creator-showrunner Rachel Bloom has a definitive one in mind for her criminally underrated musical comedy. Season two saw the winds of change (or maybe that was just the Santa Ana winds) blow through the series, bringing with it a dark-ish turn for our heroine.
6) Fargo (FX)
Ewan MacGregor is playing twins! Cool! Have you seen what Carrie Coon’s been doing? Or Mary Elizabeth Winstead? Or even David Thewlis? There’s a lot going on in the third cycle of Noah Hawley’s enthralling anthology that it demands a rewatch once you finish digesting what just happened. Fingers crossed one day there will be a fourth season.
5) Sweet/Vicious (MTV)
The network formerly known as Music Television had one of the best series of the year, so of course they cancel it and opt out of the scripted TV biz. The conceit: A pair of college vigilantes are thrown together and develop an awesome best-friendship while trying to get justice for victims of sexual assault. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s empowering drama deserved more respect.
4) The Americans (FX)
Philip and Elizabeth had an eventful, but comparatively low-key, season. The spy drama took a breath ahead of its final year (to bow in 2018). The intake almost as sharp as Elizabeth taking out the men who tried to mug her and daughter Paige in season four. Almost all of the characters were figuring out where to go from here as they carried on, almost on autopilot. Even a season of table-setting is gripping on this show.
3) Bates Motel (A&E)
Horror fans balked at the idea of a series based on Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho”. Five years and a one hardcore ship later, we fans were drying our eyes and nursing our broken hearts after saying goodbye to one of TV’s best shows. Even its home network threw in the towel on scripted series after the denizens of White Pine Bay said farewell. Now THAT’S a mic drop.
2) Legion (FX)
Noah Hawley has had a very good, quite busy 2017 so far. “Fargo” returned in the spring, but first he gave us the superhero show we’ve been waiting for. Based in the world of the X-Men (and the comics from which the drama sprung), Dan Stevens delivers on the promise he made with “The Guest”, getting help from a strong supporting cast including Jean Smart and Aubrey Plaza in a mold-shattering turn. Original. Smart. Fascinating. Funny. Romantic. Satisfying. The wait for season two has been excruciating.
1) The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
This adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel may well be in the same position at the end of 2017 — that’s how exceptional it is. What should have felt like a horrific alt-universe “what if?” has morphed into a terrifying, emotionally shattering look at what could be. Elisabeth Moss is the beacon in a darkness that sees women’s rights obliterated while a government teeming with white male privilege has its way with society. A sobering, shattering tale that also is inspiring.
Best of the Rest
The 100 (The CW); Archer (FXX); Arrow (The CW); The Big Bang Theory (CBS); Doctor Who (BBC America); Feud: Bette vs. Joan (FX); Grey’s Anatomy (ABC); Grimm (NBC); Homeland (Showtime); Madam Secretary (CBS); The Magicians (Syfy); No Tomorrow (The CW); Timeless (NBC); Ripper Street (BBC America); Sherlock (PBS); Supergirl (The CW); Supernatural (The CW); and Victoria (PBS)
Joanne Thornborough is pop culture junkie with a particular love for film, TV and the printed word. Find her at @cinelitchick on Twitter and Instagram.